"Beep!"
The coach blew the whistle. Possession was with Oliver. Mito passed the ball to him and immediately darted to the side, surprised to find that no one was guarding him.
"Is this even necessary?" Mito thought in confusion.
Everyone was focusing on Oliver. Except for Oda, who was wrestling under the rim with Sakuragi, the other two defenders were double-teaming Oliver.
"Bang, bang, bang..."
Oliver dribbled the ball slowly, eyes locked on the defenders. Their attention clearly showed just how much his performance earlier had rattled them.
Originally, 3v3 games relied on man-to-man defense, but now they were sacrificing a man just to neutralize Oliver.
Big mistake.
"Bang bang bang bang!!"
Suddenly, Oliver lowered his center of gravity, and with explosive speed, launched into a Sonic Dash. A surge of energy rushed to his legs, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished past the defenders!
"What!?"
"He's too fast!!"
The defenders spun around to chase him. Mito stood at the edge of the court, wide-eyed.
"This guy looked so frail... How is he that fast?!"
One moment, Oliver was dribbling slowly. The next, he became a blur, weaving through the defense like a gust of wind.
"Ohhh! Bean Sprout, you're pretty awesome!!"
"Go, Bean Sprout! Crush them!!"
Sakuragi's Gang exploded with cheers, their small megaphones making them the noisiest fans in the crowd.
Sakuragi himself was left stunned. Even Oda couldn't hide his concern.
"Return to defense! Quickly!" Oda bellowed.
Oliver surged into the paint, eyes set on the basket. Two defenders were close on his heels, and Oda, with his 185 cm frame, hovered nearby.
Shooting now would be a mistake.
Then Oliver spotted Mito, wide open beyond the arc.
"Mito! Heads up!"
He extended his arms, preparing to pass.
"I won't let you pass!" yelled a defender, stepping in.
"Stop me? Not a chance."
Magic Pass, activate.
Skill: The next pass will reach the target no matter the obstacle. Energy consumption varies based on defense.
With a flick of the wrist, Oliver sent the ball spinning through a defender's legs. The ball curved on contact with the ground, tracing a beautiful arc right into Mito's hands.
"What the...!"
Mito barely caught it. Oliver's voice echoed: "Shoot!"
"Ugh, fine!"
Mito jumped and flung the ball toward the basket. The angle was off. Mito had never played seriously before, and the ball clanged off the rim.
"Rebound!!"
Both teams shouted in unison.
"Alright! Time for my genius to shine!!"
Sakuragi locked onto the ball, charging toward the rebound. Oda quickly bodied up, pushing Sakuragi into a bad position.
"What are you doing?!" Sakuragi yelled.
"Idiot, rebounding isn't just about height!" Oda sneered. "It's about position, timing, and strategy. You can't just jump and hope."
"Grrr!"
Enraged, Sakuragi shoved Oda from behind.
"Hah! Got it!!"
He leapt and caught the ball.
"Beep!"
The coach blew his whistle again.
"Foul! Red-haired kid pushed his opponent. Possession goes to defense!"
"WHAT?!"
Sakuragi roared. Oliver just sighed.
"This idiot..."
"Hey, old man! I didn't touch him!"
"You pushed him in the back," the coach replied coolly. "Also, no arguing with the ref unless you want to be ejected. Want to try me?"
"You...!"
Sakuragi was fuming.
"Alright, alright," Oliver ran over and pulled Sakuragi aside. "Relax. It's just a foul. Everyone makes mistakes."
"But I—"
"Even geniuses mess up. What matters is not repeating the mistake. That's the sign of a real genius."
Sakuragi's face softened.
"Really? Then next time, I'll show you what a genius rebounder can do!"
Oliver smiled and leaned in. "Actually, you're the key to our next score."
"Me?"
"Yes. You're the tallest, strongest guy out here. But rebounding isn't just brute force. You can't hit, pull, or push. But you can block your opponent with your body before the jump. Whoever positions better gets the rebound."
He pointed a finger and said with conviction:
"If you get the rebound, I promise we win this game."
Sakuragi stared at him. Despite his short stature, Oliver's confidence radiated. It wasn't arrogance; it was the calm certainty of someone who knew how to win.
Sakuragi nodded. "Alright! Leave it to this genius!"
"That's the spirit, Rebounder!"
Back on the court, Sakuragi's Gang was heckling him again.
"Hey, Hanamichi! Nice foul!"
"Maybe basketball's not your thing, haha!"
Sakuragi glared. "Just you wait!"
Even the older girls watching joined in.
"Red-haired brother! That was a foul! Try again, okay?"
"Grrr... I'll show them all!"
"Beep!"
The game resumed. A player from Oda's team charged forward. Oliver was on him immediately.
"I know you're coming!"
Instead of driving, the opponent jumped for a shot. He figured Oliver was too tough to get around, so he gambled on scoring. He aimed high.
But Oliver leapt.
"No way..." the opponent muttered.
With perfect timing, Oliver tipped the ball mid-air, changing its trajectory.
"Rebound!!" he shouted.
The ball bounced hard off the backboard.
Sakuragi sprang into action.
"No hitting, no pulling, no pushing, no pressing..."
He repeated Oliver's words in his mind, battling Oda and Xiaotian for positioning.
Oda snarled. "What secret did Oliver give you?!"
The ball hit the rim and bounced.
Oda jumped first.
"You're a hundred years too early to beat me!"
But from below, Sakuragi launched like a missile, soaring higher than anyone expected!
"WHAT?!"
"AAAAHHHHH!"
Sakuragi snatched the rebound clean out of Oda's reach!
"YESSSS! Hanamichi!!"
His gang erupted.
"Awesome, red-haired brother!!"
The older girls squealed in surprise.
"I... I got it...?"
Still in the air, Sakuragi stared at the ball in his hands, stunned.
"Now what?!"
"Sakuragi!!!"
Oliver's voice broke through. He was wide open beyond the three-point line.
"PASS!!"
Xiaotian panicked. "Don't let him shoot!"
"Too late!!"
Sakuragi hurled the ball like a cannon.
"Bang!!"
Oliver caught it, arms trembling from the impact.
"Ouch... 90 power pass... my hands are numb."
He jumped and released the ball.
"Accurate Shooter, activate."
A warm current flowed from his fingers.
The ball sailed in a perfect arc, every eye tracking its path.
"Bang!"
Swish!
Sakuragi's Gang inhaled.
"The ball goes in—!!!"
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